


Father Figure

by SmokeyDogs_05



Series: A Family's Love (Gaara Week 2019) [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: And a good husband, Family Fluff, Gaara being a fun uncle, Gen, Shikamaru is a good dad, baby shikadai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:48:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28700940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmokeyDogs_05/pseuds/SmokeyDogs_05
Summary: In which Gaara notices how different Shikamaru and his own father are.
Series: A Family's Love (Gaara Week 2019) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103798
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Father Figure

Shikamaru holds little baby Shikadai carefully and gently twists the bottle to allow a better flow. Temari is sleeping in the other room and it is just him and his son.

And, also, his brothers-in-law.

Gaara watches as Shikamaru cares for the small Shikadai. As he nurtures and provides in Temari's place and Gaara, if he is honest with himself, is awestruck.

Kankuro is bored and sits outside the house, and when the visit is finished Gaara steps outside.

"Did father ever-?" He starts but stops as Kankuro looks at him confused and slightly worried.

"Don't worry." Gaara smiles unconvincingly but Kankuro glances at him again before dropping it.

* * *

Shikadai is walking now and talking back whenever he gets the chance. Gaara is absolutely in love with his nephew, and often lifts him high in the air with his sand. Temari doesn't mind, and knows her brother would never put her son in danger. Shikamaru, however, watches a little closely and his fingers twitch whenever Shikadai wiggles amidst Gaara's sand.

Gaara doesn't see Shikamaru hold Shikadai as often, and his nephew is particularly partial to his mother. He doesn't see Shikamaru smile lovingly as much, and he worries if something has changed.

Until Shikadai tries to eat Kankuro's tool bit as he works on a puppet and Shikamaru snatches it away in time.

"Hey, don't leave these around anymore!" He yells as Kankuro looks at him taken aback.

"I left it on the table-."

"Shikadai can reach up there now!" He shouts before crouching down and looking sternly at his son.

"Now do not eat these. Wanna know why?" He orders and looks at his son who nods. "This can cut your mouth, and then we'll have to go to the doctor, and you would have to get a painful shot." Shikadai's eyes widen and tears start to creep in as Shikamaru sighs. "Don't give me those fake tears, besides your mother would be furious. And we both don't want that." He says and Shikadai wipes at his eyes and nods.

"Good, now go play with your Uncle Gaara, and don't eat his sand either." He says sternly as Shikadai nods and throws himself into his father's arms before he can rise to a stand.

"I'm sorry dad." He whines and Gaara sees Shikamaru's resolve crumble.

"Don't do it again. I love you kid. Go play." He says and Shikadai is smiles and laughter again as he runs towards Gaara.

Once more Gaara wonders if their father ever did anything like that for any of them.

He wonders what kind of father figure he was, before everything went to hell, and what would he have been if-.

"Stop that." Gaara turns to see Temari who frowns at him. Shikadai pats the sand holding him high and Gaara gently lowers him down as he wiggles free and jumps into his mother's arms.

Temari smiles at her son and pecks his cheek before looking at her brother again.

"Don't think of what could have been. Stop thinking of the past. I can tell when you are." She smiles before stepping closer to him as Shikadai coos in her arms.

"I love Shikamaru because he is a good man, and I could tell he would be a good father. And I know because he is how father should have been. That's all I'm going to tell you." She ends it with a wink but Gaara can tell that she barely remembers what Rasa was like before everything. She would be the one to remember. She is the oldest.

So, he just nods and smiles as Shikadai pulls Kankuro's cap off while Temari passes him holding her son. Kankuro snatches it back as Shikadai giggles, and the puppet master mumbles about needed a non-pointed cap. Gaara watches the scene and watches as Shikamaru steps back into the room and presses a kiss to both his wife and son. Peace fills Gaara's mind then at the heartwarming scene and at Temari's wide smile. He doesn't need to know what their father was like, there was a true father figure in front of him, and a perfect one for his nephew.


End file.
